1. A COMMUNITY-BASED OYSTER RESTORATION STRATEGY FOR DELAWARE'S COASTAL (INLAND) BAYS John W. Ewart 1, E. J. Chalabala 2, Frank Marenghi 3 and Aaron Gibson 3 1 Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, Graduate College of Marine and Earth Studies, Lewes, Delaware USA 2 Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, Rehoboth, Delaware USA 3 Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware USA

2. Declining water quality species diversity & habitat loss Nutrient eutrophication agriculture & suburbanization

3. Shellfish Field Research & Demonstration 2001 & 04 Shellfish pathogen surveys Year 1998- 01 Seasonal growth & survival 2002- 03 L. Assawoman Bay stock assessment 2001- 06 Establish & monitor a pilot scale reef 2005- 08 LAB restoration strategy 2003- 08 Oyster gardening program

4. Oyster Gardening Overview Why: Supply oysters for restoration/stock enhancement Citizen involvement and education Citizen involvement and education Applied research & demonstration Who: Inland Bay residents and volunteers What: Nursery culture of 10 mm oyster spat to juvenile/adult What: Nursery culture of 10 mm oyster spat to juvenile/adult When: April to November ………all year for FTR Where: Residential lagoon communities Where: Residential lagoon communities

5. Oyster Gardening Locations 2003 & 2004 21 volunteers @ 15 locations 2005 48 volunteers @ 29 locations 2006 72 volunteers @ 49 locations 2007 150 volunteers @ 105 locations 2008 170 volunteers @ 115 locations * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

6. D. Parks, NOAA

7. Partnerships financial support education/training technical support local & county governments Community businesses - materials, supplies, equipment and in-kind services Inland Bays volunteers (oyster gardening & water quality)

10. Email address: 2005 Oyster Gardener Registration Form Name(s): Address: Phone: Please provide written directions to your gardening site: Date Delivered: ____________________ Date Collected: ____________________ ID Code: _________________

11. 16.8% to 43.4% Macroalgae/anoxia 43% to 75% Winter Kill

12. Fenwick Island, Delaware Lynnhaven, Virginia

13. Source: Govt. of British Columbia Adaptive Management Source: Govt. of British Columbia Hold oysters for two seasons to promote natural spawning Utilize rip rap as a base for oysters vs artificial reef

14. 2007 Remote Setting of Oyster Larvae

15. Little Assawoman Bay Shellfish Restoration Strategy Fenwick Island, Delaware

16. June 2008 July 2007 D. Parks, NOAA

20. Little Assawoman Bay September 2008

21. Education & Outreach

22. Summary  Continue Stocking Rip Rap  Network of Monitoring Sites  Remote Setting Operation  Setting options  Promote Natural Recruitment

23. Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Oyster Gardeners

24. Acknowledgements Don Merritt Greg DeBrosse THANKS Gulnihal Ozbay Jim Alderman Nancy Stokes